Motivational Interviewing and Client Characteristics Analysis

This report delves into the application of motivational interviewing (MI), a psychotherapeutic approach designed to facilitate positive decision-making and behavioral change in clients. It examines how MI can be tailored to address specific client characteristics, including age, gender, race, ethnicity, and cultural background. The report emphasizes the importance of understanding these factors to enhance the effectiveness of MI interventions. It reviews the existing literature on how these characteristics influence the therapeutic process and discusses the implications for clinical practice, highlighting the need for therapists to be sensitive to diverse client needs and beliefs. The report also provides insights into the use of MI with specific populations, such as young people, older adults, and individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of adapting the approach to meet the unique needs of each client. Overall, the report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of MI and its application to a range of client populations, with the goal of improving therapeutic outcomes.

RUNNING HEAD: MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING 0
2020
Motivational Interviewing
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Application of Motivational Interviewing to Specific Client’s
Characteristics
Motivational interviewing (MI) is regarded as a psychotherapeutic approach that deals
with finding the state of positive decision making by moving the individual from the current
state of indecision and uncertainty (Miller & Rose , 2015). This seeks to promote the
collaborative approaches through the use of motivational technique which can help the client
to create the positive change. Here, the research is based on the application of MI on the
specific client characteristics such as age, gender, culture and sexual orientation which can
bring positive outcome for the client.
From the perspective of Gayes & Steele (2014) motivational interviewing is the
process used by psychologists to explore the feelings of the client which clearly leads to
support to the client in order to allow them to make their own choices and arrive at a
conclusion (Gayes & Steele, 2014). This leads to the person-centred philosophy which can
affect the treatment of the client. Besides, Schwalbe, Oh, & Zweben (2014) has stated that the
motivational interviewing (MI) is regarded as a counselling approach which can affect the
behaviour of the client and is often treated as client-centred counselling style which can lead
to the development of interpersonal relationship which often can improve the quality of
outcomes (Schwalbe, Oh, & Zweben, 2014). Moreover, this interviewing can be influenced
by the specific client characteristics as it can affect the treatment given to the client. It is
important for the counsellor to be aware of behaviour of different client’s characteristics
which affect the treatment procedure of the client.
Age

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Individuals with the specific age group have different needs when it comes to their
mental health treatment. Latessa, Listwan, & Koetzle has elaborated that the use of MI is
significant to the age groups and therefore psychologists are needed to mindful of the needs
of the age group which can affect the interviewing strategy (Latessa, Listwan, & Koetzle,
2014). Further, the research has observed that young people are impulsive and have inclined
to resistance to change in which the MI approach can be used through the encouragement of
peer networks. Moreover, motivational interviewing is being used to change the client’s
perspective and create a positive change. Besides, people of old age have different needs as
they need emotional support and kind behaviour. This behaviour can influence the
interviewing practice of the psychologists. These age gaps are identified by psychologists in
order to provide the level of treatment through the necessary support and help.
Gender
There are influences of gender on the process of motivational interviewing. The
behaviour of the client is differentiated by the needs of male and female. According to
Korcha, Polcin, Evans , Bond , & Galloway, women suffering from mental disorder want
emotional support and also the sympathetic behaviour as they are primary take carers of their
children (Korcha, Polcin, Evans , Bond , & Galloway, 2014). MI is used in such a way that
their sentiments are not hurt. Besides, men are less emotional than women in which MI can
be applicable through the open questions about their condition. However, the treatment
practice used for both of the genders is similar. MI is adopted as a similar approach as per the
opined research and also little changes in their behaviour can lead to the different
collaborative practice which can improve the success of the process used.
Race and Ethnicity

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Motivational interviewing can be affected by different cultures, race and ethnicity.
Moreover, people with different cultural backgrounds respond differently to the situations in
which awareness of race and ethnicity embraces diversity. This can certainly affect the
motivational interviewing in which the clinical psychologists are needed to respect the
diverse norms and beliefs and also adopting the treatment in such a way that it can avoid the
barriers that might arise from the different cultural backgrounds. For example, in United
States, Hispanics are observed to have more mental illness than other American men (Oh &
Lee, 2016). The researchers therefore elaborated that the psychologists will adopt the
motivational practice through the right form of care for Hispanics and is the effective
treatment through the determination of the cultural diversity.
It can be concluded that the motivational interviewing is the effective practice to be
used for the treatment of the client with the mental illness. Specifically, the practice adopted
is made through the examination of individual characteristics which can affect the treatment.
Here, the literature review is made upon the analysis and application of motivational
interviewing which can affect the process of making engagements with the client as every
client is different in terms of behaviour and perception.

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References
Gayes, L., & Steele, R. (2014). A meta-analysis of motivational interviewing interventions
for pediatric health behavior change. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology,
82(3), 521.
Korcha, R., Polcin, D., Evans , K., Bond , J., & Galloway, G. (2014). Intensive motivational
interviewing for women with concurrent alcohol problems and methamphetamine
dependence. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 46(2), 113-119.
Latessa, E., Listwan, S., & Koetzle, D. (2014). What Works (and Doesn't) in Reducing
Recidivism. Routledge.
Miller, W., & Rose , G. (2015). Motivational interviewing and decisional balance: contrasting
responses to client ambivalence. Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy, 43(2),
129-141.
Oh, H., & Lee, C. (2016). Culture and motivational interviewing. Patient education and
counseling, 99(11), 1914.
Schwalbe, C., Oh, H., & Zweben, A. (2014). Sustaining motivational interviewing: A meta‐
analysis of training studies. Addiction, 109(8), 287-1294.